Editorials

A time of Remembrance

April 19, 2012

Congress established the "Days of Remembrance" as the nation's annual commemoration of the Holocaust and created the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a permanent living memorial to the victims, it reads on the website of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Holocaust remembrance week is April 1522, and Apr. 19. has been slated as Holocaust Remembrance Day. The approximate death toll attributed to the Holocaust is 6 million people.

Lake Placid News and Virginia Gazette

columnist Frank Shatz is a Holocaust survivor (see next page). He survived one of the worst cases of

atrocity in human history - the key word here is SURVIVED.

Shatz has written a new book titled "Reports from a Distant Place," and it gives his account of survival. In the book's forward, he points out that most people upon hearing the word "Holocaust" immediately conjure images of death and dying. He says that for many years he hesitated on telling of his story - but has decided to do so now mainly because of the recent wave of denials regarding the Holocaust.

No one can deny that the Holocaust happened and is a part of human history. Unfortunately, atrocities against other human beings, albeit on a smaller scale than that in Nazi-controlled territories during the time of World War ll, have still been happening - and continue to happen. Remembering the terror of the Holocaust not only is a way to recognize those who lost their lives, but a message that such dastardly actions cannot, and must not, be tolerated.

By having survivors such as Shatz tell their story, it provides a lesson that people can overcome the most difficult of circumstances and survive. As much as one would like to forget the past, it shapes and molds us to the person we become.

Life is a continuous battle, it's just that some of our fights require more intestinal fortitude than

others. Hopefully, all stories of survival will act as an inspiration.

So during the remainder of Holocaust Remembrance Week, yes, take a moment to think about those who perished. But also take a moment to appreciate those who survived and are able to pass along their stories, which will help future